“The only thing that is constant is change.” Heraclitus
In a world in which technologies are constantly evolving, these words spoken by the ancient Greek philosopher ring truer than ever. Just when you think you have social media marketing figured out, Facebook comes along and changes things up…again!
During the past two years, Facebook has been all about media posts and viral videos. Cue the return of friends and family in 2018.
"I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions," says Facebook co-founder, Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Research shows that using social media to connect with people we care about helps us feel good, says Zuckerberg. That’s great, unless you’re trying to market your brand. According to Zuckerberg, this year Facebook users will see fewer posts from businesses, brands, and media, and more of what their friends are sharing and liking.
Quality not quantity is the rule of thumb here. The public content we see will be messages that encourage meaningful interactions between people vs. the more passive experience of watching a video or getting a page update. How can you make sure your posts make the cut?
Shannon Tien, Inbound Market Specialist at Hootsuite suggests making more Facebook Live videos. Videos are still acceptable with the recent Facebook change, but live videos are even better. Live videos lead to more discussion and on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos.
Since its launch in 2016, Facebook Live has seen its daily watch time grow by more than 400 percent. Users who check out social media for the latest updates and trends find Facebook Live broadcasts particularly compelling. Try including questions in your posts or write about timely, relevant topics that will spark a conversation between users. Stay away from using ‘engagement-bait’ or bribing people to comment as these posts will be downgraded in News Feed.
Enhance viewership by promoting your broadcast in advance. Share daily updates about the event on your Facebook Page. Rather than just stating a reminder, highlight a tip you’ll share or what kind of information you’ll be discussing.
Although Facebook Live is a more natural experience than a You Tube production you should still plan ahead so that you and your brand make a good impression. Lighting, sound and the environment are factors to be evaluated in advance. I strongly suggest investing in a tripod so your video doesn’t resemble a scene from the Blair Witch Project.
Hiring a third party company to assist with your live videos will make you look better and your brand stand out. These experts can minimize unwanted background noise – both indoors or outside – and make sure your voice comes through loud and clear. Consider bringing in a professional to broadcast when unveiling a new model home and include a live drone video of the community.
Another cool aspect of Facebook Live is that it allows you to be more responsive which is what viewers find so compelling. This format feels more like a 2-way conversation when you respond immediately to questions as they are posted. That is why Facebook Live drives comments at 10 times the rate of non-live videos.
It is important to remember that Facebook Live is all about connecting with your audience and building lasting relationships. This is not the time for a hard sell. You can, however, occasionally draw attention to your product in subtle ways and conclude your video with a call to action.
People spend three times longer watching live video than native video, which makes live video a critical component of your marketing plan. It is ideal for generating engagement and is more cost effective than running Facebook ads. All the more reason to hire a professional for assistance so that you remain focused on what you do best – developing and marketing new home construction.
As with any marketing campaign, you’ll want to analyze the results garnered by your videos. Facebook has several metrics you can use to measure how many people you’ve reached, number of viewers and more. Again, working with the same professionals who produced your video can help you make sense of the analytics and determine what works and what needs to be tweaked.
There’s no reason to be alarmed about this latest change on Facebook if you are already dedicated to providing your customers with valuable, quality content. Keep in mind, Facebook is just one way to drive traffic to your website. Revisit Google Adwords, Google TruView video ads and Instagram and include them in your marketing plan. Maintaining a balanced plan across multiple platforms will insure the changes on Facebook do not affect your business.
You never know what new technology tool will come next. Look out for virtual reality and 360 video on Facebook Spaces. Builders and developers – this is a great fit for you! Soon your customers and their friends will be able to tour a model home together and interact with each other through virtual windows. Change is good! Stay tuned!!
Jim Schaefer, President, CEO, RealReach Marketing and Productions
RealReach Marketing and Productions provides web design, social media marketing, paid search and content managed search engine marketing, and photography and videography services to businesses across the country. Jim is a certified Online Marketing Professional and Google AdWords Certified Partner, as well as, Vice President of the Florida Sales and Marketing Council
RealReach Marketing recently earned top honors from the Sales & Marketing Council of Tampa for Best Online Ad, Best Corporate Video, and Best Television Commercial. RealReach also won Best YouTube Video 2015 and Best Website Design 2016 at the Southeast Building Conference Excel Awards.